I've now been using Lexia for 9 weeks and Reading Plus of 6 weeks. Now that I have some class data, this webinar was able to focus on unpacking what the data was telling me. Now I can respond to the data. Reading PlusCertificates will display on home page once they are earned. Certificates are awarded for completing a level. To complete a level you need to achieve a set number (often 7) combos. A combo is when you get 80% or higher twice in a row in a SeeReader. If you complete 3 combos in a row you are awarded with a POWER. This is essentially a get out of jail free card (to use once if you get under 80%). A typical year's progress with a student's reading rate is 12 words per year. Students are invited to increase their guided reading rate when they achieve over 80% in comprehension. As the teacher, I need to keep an eye on students who aren't pushing themselves. I have a number of students in my class who prefer to take the safe way out to ensure they get it right. I am able to adjust the guided rates for these students. The table above shows groups of students with similar needs. Using the skill summary I am able to see any trends for the class. This tool allows me to identify the specific comprehension strategy that needs more work - both as a group and for individuals. Once specific next steps have been identified, all you need to do is to go to skillscoach.readingplus.com and click on the comprehension skill. (See below for samples). The tutorials have the same skill modelled at two different levels - basic & intermediate. Another report available is the assignment completion summary. At a glance you can see what students are reading, how long it is taking, their reading rate & comprehension. Reading Plus also has a link learn.readingplus.com/teaching-tools to a range of teaching tools. LexiaWhen students login for the first time they complete a series of tasks. The programme identifies their level by testing their decoding/phonics and comprehension/whole language. When you log in your dashboard shows a summary of what targets are being met. Lexia will alert me when there are students that are struggling with a particular concept. There are a few ways that the lesson can be delivered. You can... click on the link and follow the detailed lesson plan; enter demo mode and work through examples with the student; or teach your own lesson. Lexia provides graphs to show progress with each skill. If the graph begins to plateau, a lesson is needed.
Workshop Run by Learning Support Cognitive behaviour therapy - How you behave affects how you feel. He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka A choppy sea can be navigated.
Module 1 - Understanding BehaviourWhat you value and believe will influence how you interpret a situation. This is shaped by your individual experiences. When we understand ourselves, we can work towards understanding our reactions to behaviours that challenge us. If your thoughts are emotionally laden then it's harder to respond in an objective way. You need to be calm to respond in an objective way. The only thing we can control is what we think and believe... and what we do, think and believe can influence the outcome to increase the likelihood of de-escalation. Your stress response is completely involuntary. Cortisol in the system means they can't be calm, which causes a faster stress response. High levels of cortisol = unable to process & remember what is happening. For some students the stress response is triggered too often for non-life threatening events. This can have a negative effect on their ability to learn and function successfully. Too much stress leads to hyper-vigilance, hypo-vigilance or both. We need to establish a safe environment to reduce the negative impacts. Module 2 - Encouraging ready-to-learn behaviourWhangaia ka tupu, ka puawai That which is nurtured, blossoms and grows. Changing a behaviour isn't easy. E.G. fold your arms then fold them the other way. Later on when you fold your arms again - you will find you revert back to the old way. To support you need encouragement & practise. Threatening isn't going to help learn the new behaviour. Module 3 - Responding SafelyMe he whakawhiti o te rā. Personify that of the sun. That which removes adversity, brings calm and provides light. You need to be aware of your own emotions/response when a student is 'out - of - sorts' or you can easily mirror the student's behaviours. This helps you to act objectively. Be conscious of your own body language and facial expressions as these can be interpreted in the wrong way by the student. When answering the student's questions (when out of sort) make sure you don't escalating the situation. When you... then you...; offer choices; to return the student into a 'ready to learn' frame of mind. Once the student has escalated, they lost the ability to process. There is no point in explaining anything. Remove the triggers/audience. 2.3.17
Agency in Literacy http://bexteacherstoolbox.co.nz What- CSI
Agency/inquiry approach has been watered down so much in schools - it can become must do / can do or discovery. Lost in translation - Inquiry is agency. Agency is inquiry. Same with the Thinking Hats. Agency is such a powerful concept that we need to do this properly. Agency is about kids becoming agents of their own learning. As teachers we tend to make all of the decisions. Agency is when the learner initiates the learning. They want to learn this. Pg 2 in handout To be an agent of my learning, I need learning designed so learners can:
Give children the amount of agency that they can cope with. Agency shouldn’t be based on their ability but their behaviours they show - e.g. growth mindset, key competencies. It’s a journey not a destination. Process
Start with one area in the classroom to get this started. What if students had open access to the resources teachers use when planning activities for them? Bek's sample resources - This workshop was really just a push for everyone to subscribe to her website. Where to from here? Most of this workshop was not new for me. My next step is to no longer have ability groups for reading. All my kids are at or above so I don’t need to be teaching any of my kids to read. I want to have a deep concept/issue with a wide range of texts/topics within. Students can select which direction they are heading in & they form the reading groups. Things to consider? What is the point of the kids timetabling their day? Is it really necessary? How important is it that they have to be doing what they planned at their exact time of the day? As adults we might have goals/things we want to achieve in a given timeframe but do we plan (& stick) to it? I believe my TAI has been successful. The children believe in themselves so much more than they did at the beginning of the year. All of my children have made progress - some even accelerated. Things that made a difference:
Evidence...Student 28 Year 4 Male 2015 - Below, Working at Stage 4 Thought he was good at maths. Maths made him feel okay. 2016 - Below (but has made accelerated progress - see PAT graph) Working at early 5. Basic Facts Feb 13% - Oct 20% I don't feel good about maths. I have never really liked it. I kind of liked maths when we were able to play with things. I liked playing with the rice and scales. Student 23 Year 4 Female 2015 - At, Working at Stage 4 Thought she was bad at maths. Maths made her feel happy. 2016 - At, Working at Stage 5, accelerated progress with PAT. Basic Facts Feb 10% - Oct 32% I have improved a lot with my maths this year. I practise my times tables on Skoolbo. I find maths with my group much easier. I like doing maths sheets but we don't do many. Student 14 Year 3 Male 2015 - At, Working at Stage 4 Thought he was good at maths. Maths made him feel happy. 2016 - Above Working at early Stage 6. Also got a stanine 9. Basic Facts Feb 8% - Oct 38% I feel great about maths. I kept practising my maths. I like when we do maths together on the mat. I am using different strategies now. Student 11 Year 3 Female 2015 - At, Working at Stage 4 Thought she was okay at maths. Maths made her feel okay. 2016 - Above Working at Stage 5 Basic Facts Feb 10% - Oct 36% I think I am so close to being thumbs up. I feel much better about maths now. I think maybe because I went from stage 4 to stage 5 in one maths session. I prefer when we do maths together as a group. It seems to be good because we can all be together to learn. Student 9 Year 3 Female 2015 - At, Working at Stage 4 Thought she was okay at maths. Maths made her feel happy. 2016 - At Working early 5 Basic Facts Feb 12% - Oct 35% I feel good about maths now. I enjoy maths more because I am learning more strategies which makes it easier to understand. I like the monthly basic facts tests. It helps me to get my maths right in a fast time. Student 3 Year 3 Male 2015 - At, Working at Stage 4 Thought he was bad at maths. Maths made him feel okay. 2016 - At, Working at early Stage 5. With encouragement is working at Stage 5. Basic Facts Feb 26% - Oct 26% I think I have improved with maths this year. I join in with my group more. I really enjoyed learning about weight and capacity when we used the rice and scales. Student 2
Year 3 Female 2015 - At, Working at Stage 4 Thought she was good at maths. Maths made her feel good. 2016 - At Working at early Stage 5. She relies on counting on unless she has someone with her pushing her to try another strategy. She CAN use stage 5 strategies when encouraged. Basic Facts Feb 8% - Oct 38% I think I have gone good with maths this year. I have been practising a lot at home with mum. I have enjoyed using the weighted socks to estimate weights. I also liked it when we weighed ourselves.
Modelling of a rich task and anticipating responses.
Although stage 5 students can do some tasks with fractions, students need to have mastered that the big idea - You need to know the size of the one. |
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